RE: Boys and Girls..should they be treated exactly the same?

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I agree.  I have two daughters on the Spectrum and they were many many times

the

only girls.  Serveral years they were the only girls in the sped class.  I

started asking people/anyone on a regular basis where the girls were?  I never

did get real answers but occassionally we started bumping into girls.  Do you

think they are under diagnosed?

My 3 cents,

Mylinda Elliott

________________________________

From: autismstorybookmom <no_reply >

To: Autism_in_Girls_and_Women

Sent: Thu, January 6, 2011 9:37:11 PM

Subject: Boys and Girls..should they be treated

exactly the same?

 

Hello Everyone,

Do you feel like girls have different needs than boys do? I sure do.

My daughter, Kate, is 7 years old. She is very often the only girl in her class.

And, when I bring her to additional therapies like hippotherapy (horseback

riding) or swim class she is still very outnumbered by the boys. Sometimes I

feel like the therapists and teachers are too used to working with boys and not

very experienced working with girls.

[Guest guest]

As the mother of a daughter with Asperger's, I firmly believe that girls are

way underdiagnosed, in both autistic spectrum and ADD/ADHD.

On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 6:23 PM, Mylinda Elliott

wrote:

>

>

> Hello,

> I agree. I have two daughters on the Spectrum and they were many many

> times the

> only girls. Serveral years they were the only girls in the sped class. I

> started asking people/anyone on a regular basis where the girls were? I

> never

> did get real answers but occassionally we started bumping into girls. Do

> you

> think they are under diagnosed?

>

> My 3 cents,

> Mylinda Elliott

>

> ________________________________

> From: autismstorybookmom <no_reply <no_reply%40yahoogroups.com>

> >

> To:

Autism_in_Girls_and_Women <Autism_in_Girls_and_Women%40yahoogroup\

s.com>

> Sent: Thu, January 6, 2011 9:37:11 PM

> Subject: Boys and Girls..should they be treated

>

> exactly the same?

>

>

>

> Hello Everyone,

>

> Do you feel like girls have different needs than boys do? I sure do.

> My daughter, Kate, is 7 years old. She is very often the only girl in her

> class.

> And, when I bring her to additional therapies like hippotherapy (horseback

> riding) or swim class she is still very outnumbered by the boys. Sometimes

> I

> feel like the therapists and teachers are too used to working with boys and

> not

> very experienced working with girls.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I think they are definately under diagnosed! I think that for just the fact

that so often girls present their symptoms differently than boys, so when

it's seen in girls it either over looked or just mistaken for something

else.

The more I read, the more I would agree.

Even my mom has said that what she reads about ADHD today, she can say for

certain that I fit the bill to a T when I was a child. At first they thought

it was just because I was so bored in class. When I entered Kindergarten my

pre-school had already taught me everything I was going to learn in K except

to count to 10 in spanish because I was their only child over that summer.

If they had known I would be expected to count 1 to 10 in Spanish they

probably would have taught me to count to 20 in Spanish! LOL But for the

first year they really thought I was so bored that was why I was constantly

out of my seat and disruptive etc. But when it continued after they provided

1st grade work instead, I was tested as gifted and put in the gifted

program... which STILL didn't keep me focused etc.

I went all my life thinking I was just a smart trouble maker, till my

daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and much of what was going on with her was

what I'd gone through. When my mom learned more she said that she definately

saw it too looking back, but that back then the possibility was not even

discussed and she'd never even heard that a girl could have ADD/ADHD.

Awareness is so important, I wonder how many little girls are out there

feeling so terribly about themselves and parents frustrated with them and

themselves just because they have no idea that their daughter could have

ADD/ADHD or be on the spectrum.

I am thankful that I'm raising my girls in a time when more people are aware

and we're not just being looked at like we're crazy or bad parents.

Theresa

On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 9:23 PM, Mylinda Elliott

wrote:

>

>

> Hello,

> I agree. I have two daughters on the Spectrum and they were many many

> times the

> only girls. Serveral years they were the only girls in the sped class. I

> started asking people/anyone on a regular basis where the girls were? I

> never

> did get real answers but occassionally we started bumping into girls. Do

> you

> think they are under diagnosed?

>

> My 3 cents,

> Mylinda Elliott

>

> ________________________________

> From: autismstorybookmom <no_reply <no_reply%40yahoogroups.com>

> >

> To:

Autism_in_Girls_and_Women <Autism_in_Girls_and_Women%40yahoogroup\

s.com>

> Sent: Thu, January 6, 2011 9:37:11 PM

> Subject: Boys and Girls..should they be treated

>

> exactly the same?

>

>

>

> Hello Everyone,

>

> Do you feel like girls have different needs than boys do? I sure do.

> My daughter, Kate, is 7 years old. She is very often the only girl in her

> class.

> And, when I bring her to additional therapies like hippotherapy (horseback

> riding) or swim class she is still very outnumbered by the boys. Sometimes

> I

> feel like the therapists and teachers are too used to working with boys and

> not

> very experienced working with girls.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Another example of the dangers of stereotypes. When most people think about

ADD, the image of the hyperactive little boy come to mind, not the little

girl who daydreams and stares out the window.

> I think they are definately under diagnosed! I think that for just the fact

> that so often girls present their symptoms differently than boys, so when

> it's seen in girls it either over looked or just mistaken for something

> else.

> The more I read, the more I would agree.

> Even my mom has said that what she reads about ADHD today, she can say for

> certain that I fit the bill to a T when I was a child. At first they

> thought

> it was just because I was so bored in class. When I entered Kindergarten my

> pre-school had already taught me everything I was going to learn in K

> except

> to count to 10 in spanish because I was their only child over that summer.

> If they had known I would be expected to count 1 to 10 in Spanish they

> probably would have taught me to count to 20 in Spanish! LOL But for the

> first year they really thought I was so bored that was why I was constantly

> out of my seat and disruptive etc. But when it continued after they

> provided

> 1st grade work instead, I was tested as gifted and put in the gifted

> program... which STILL didn't keep me focused etc.

> I went all my life thinking I was just a smart trouble maker, till my

> daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and much of what was going on with her was

> what I'd gone through. When my mom learned more she said that she

> definately

> saw it too looking back, but that back then the possibility was not even

> discussed and she'd never even heard that a girl could have ADD/ADHD.

> Awareness is so important, I wonder how many little girls are out there

> feeling so terribly about themselves and parents frustrated with them and

> themselves just because they have no idea that their daughter could have

> ADD/ADHD or be on the spectrum.

> I am thankful that I'm raising my girls in a time when more people are

> aware

> and we're not just being looked at like we're crazy or bad parents.

>

> Theresa

>

> On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 9:23 PM, Mylinda Elliott

> wrote:

>

> >

> >

> > Hello,

> > I agree. I have two daughters on the Spectrum and they were many many

> > times the

> > only girls. Serveral years they were the only girls in the sped class.

> I

> > started asking people/anyone on a regular basis where the girls were? I

> > never

> > did get real answers but occassionally we started bumping into girls. Do

> > you

> > think they are under diagnosed?

> >

> > My 3 cents,

> > Mylinda Elliott

> >

> > ________________________________

> > From: autismstorybookmom <no_reply <no_reply%

> 40yahoogroups.com>

> > >

> > To: Autism_in_Girls_and_Women <Autism_in_Girls_and_Women%

> 40yahoogroups.com>

> > Sent: Thu, January 6, 2011 9:37:11 PM

> > Subject: Boys and Girls..should they be

> treated

> >

> > exactly the same?

> >

> >

> >

> > Hello Everyone,

> >

> > Do you feel like girls have different needs than boys do? I sure do.

> > My daughter, Kate, is 7 years old. She is very often the only girl in her

> > class.

> > And, when I bring her to additional therapies like hippotherapy

> (horseback

> > riding) or swim class she is still very outnumbered by the boys.

> Sometimes

> > I

> > feel like the therapists and teachers are too used to working with boys

> and

> > not

> > very experienced working with girls.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Just to chime in, I think AD/HD is diagnosed more because boys and girls are

hyper, but ADD is overlooked in girls because it can look like someone is

careless or forgetful. ADD and ADHD are different. Once you are around

someone who has both ADD and one who has AD/HD - especially if it is severe

- it is much more clear to see the difference. I also wish autism and ADD

were two different diagnoses in our case because when you tell someone your

daughter has autism, there is a different set of expectations than if told

it is ADD as well. Sometimes I see the ADD more prominent than autism

although it coexists. Both our kids have ADD but one has autism and the

other mild aspergers.

Regina

[Guest guest]

Hello all -

I have a daughter on the spectrum (17yrs). Earlier in her dx, I was told that

girls are able to adapt to their surroundings & social situations better than

boys can & are therefore less dx'd than than their male peers. Do any of you in

your experiences find that to be true?

Just my 2 cents'.

Pat

Subject: RE: Boys and Girls..should they be treated

exactly the same?

To: Autism_in_Girls_and_Women

Date: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 11:54 AM

 

Just to chime in, I think AD/HD is diagnosed more because boys and girls

are

hyper, but ADD is overlooked in girls because it can look like someone is

careless or forgetful. ADD and ADHD are different. Once you are around

someone who has both ADD and one who has AD/HD - especially if it is severe

- it is much more clear to see the difference. I also wish autism and ADD

were two different diagnoses in our case because when you tell someone your

daughter has autism, there is a different set of expectations than if told

it is ADD as well. Sometimes I see the ADD more prominent than autism

although it coexists. Both our kids have ADD but one has autism and the

other mild aspergers.

Regina